Good piece about a transnational trend in reactionary politics Following in Murdoch's footsteps, we have seen countless reactionary billionaires building media empires, almost always at a huge loss Profit is not the point, power is and weakened democratic institutions are unable to resist

Genius!

"Delightfully, Heavenly’s current range of tour merchandise includes Heavenly branded bicycle bells. I bought one, but within hours it had been stolen off my bike while I was buying some onions in Sainsbury’s, 1

‘A man with an outstanding ICC arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes and alleged crimes against humanity, and an adjudicated sex offender and convicted fraudster who hates wind and low water pressure but loves pussy and KFC, have launched an illegal invasion of Iran. ‘

Am I alone in thinking this is really an attack by Israel against Iran? The USA joined in with Israel's war. Why? Because Trump is weak and stupid. He's caught between his two best mates Bibi, a genocidal leader; and Vlad, also a genocidal leader. He wants to please both; both are exploiting him.

Absolutely insupportable. Labour have a massive majority. It’s a hugely popular issue. To fail to act would be a dereliction of historic proportions, and utterly inexplicable.

It's hard to find humour in the current geopolitical sh*tstorm but I think on balance Stewart Lee wheedles some out for us in his latest for @thenerve.news www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le... It's plausible that Lee is right to think Trump will set his eyes on Londinistan for his next regime change.

Real war and culture war. New post on my Brexit & Brexitism Blog analyzing the Brexit imprint of domestic responses to the Iran crisis, the hypocrisy & sectarianism of Reform's response to the by-election and the questions it poses for Labour: chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2026/03/real...

Brent Crude is up nearly 10% today, to over $93 a barrel. It hasn't been this high since November 2022, during the continuing fallout from Putin's invasion of Ukraine. While we can expect a big spike in inflation from the cost of Oil-related products, it should also ⬆️ the transition to electric.

Time for a Boston Tea Party moment?

Ukraine is hopefully now negotiating a ATACMS/Patriots for anti-Shahed Sting drones swap with the USA.

Hello Sam @writesbright.bsky.social just read your Desmog piece on the Telegraph, Axel Springer and KKR. This release would suggest AS has split from KKR nearly a year ago. www.axelspringer.com/en/ax-press-...

Axel Springer say they want the Telegraph to be centre right, which will be an appreciable move to the left for the Telegraph

How else are they going to pay for Bibi's war?

Trump's head explodes "the Russians are our enemies???"

An excellent post from @chrisgrey.bsky.social this morning, connecting the right/far-right Culture Wars re Gorton/Denton; Israel/US attack on Iran; & inevitably Brexit. Grey notes how Labour are fixated on an (erroneous) idea of who their voters are. chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com/2026/03/real...

Nobody could possibly have predicted that a country with world leading expertise in offensive drone manufacture would retaliate against attacks on itself by err using err domestically manufactured drones to attack err highly vulnerable fossil fuel err infrastructure in its err back yard. No-one.

*History professor profits from sale of historical artefacts* Another headline fixed

After the record warmest 3rd March, yesterday (5th) equalled the record, set in 1961.

I love a really good fake quote. This one has all the ingredients because it sounds nothing like Orwell, is poorly written, and incredibly dumb. "But if you attach a famous name and deliver it with whispered gravitas, there will always be dumbasses who'll believe it." ~ Keith Harris (and Orville)

Maybe there's plumber who could help....

anyone remember the Belgrano?

"Bias-free reporting in the Spectator" 😆🤣🤣

I had no idea until this all started that the UAE licences and pays many influencers to live there and write positively about the regime. That puts a whole new spin on things. Propagandists in pocket of regime. It's why all the messaging is the same. www.lbc.co.uk/article/duba...

Last week, UK lobbying regulator closed investigation into ex Tory MP Ben Howlett We offered Howlett money to work for a fake Chinese investor. He introduced us to a dozen Labour MPs Regulator didn't even speak to us. Our system is broken New, by me: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/we-paid-an...

Latest from @petergeoghegan.bsky.social at Democracy for Sale. And it is literally for sale. open.substack.com/pub/democrac...

If this is a Yellow-Rattle seedling it’s very early

Ukraine has some excellent home-produced cruise missiles, as Russia has found out. Perhaps the USA would like to purchase some?

Countdown to when the US release playing cards with the names of Iraqi- sorry, Iranian military and political leaders.

Who holds the short positions?

March is the new April. Astonishing how far spring has advanced in our lifetime #climatechaos

Yesterday was the warmest March 3rd on record - 18.2°C at Wigginholt beating a long standing record held since 1938 at Manston in Kent, by a massive 0.4°C.

Sharia Courts…. In the North Sea… indigenous people…. Illegal immigration…stupid islands… windmills ruining the fields… Open Up The North Sea

Season 4 of Industry hasn’t pulled any punches.

Rue-leaved Saxifrage Saxifraga tridactylites and Common Whitlow-grass Erophila verna. Happy as Larry on this old wall in Winchester, Hampshire. @bsbibotany.bsky.social

Seen 3 Brimstones and a Peacock today. Still mowing brambles. #signsofspring

Today on the site: @matthewmshaw.bsky.social bids farewell to People Need Nature, the charity that has been promoting nature’s emotional, sensory and spiritual value since 2015 www.caughtbytheriver.net/2026/03/a-tr...

This is what climate change looks like for UK winters.

Winter second wettest for Dorset since records began in 1836. Only surpassed by Winter 2013/14. I recorded 635.2mm in Dorchester this Winter, and 646.1mm in 2013/14. I remember 2013/14 as being much stormier (windier) here, than this Winter. www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/new...

Fortunate that this senile old man isn't in charge of anything important.

Stewart Lee's latest bit for @thenerve.news (belated) www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le... In which Lee compares/contrast policing of anti-Gay protestors in Oxford St (they were stopped) with anti-Muslim protestors in Whitechapel (they were not), while musing on the limits of political theatre.

Farage rants about "family voting" & postal votes being "a rich seam for fraudsters to mine" without any evidence whatsoever. He's silent on the far more dangerous problem of money flowing into UK politics from billionaires abroad. Given how much of Reform's cash comes this way, perhaps that's why.

Another ironymeter explodes

I imagine Ukrainian arms industry reps are making their way rapidly to Middle East Defence departments in their droves.

This is the calculus no-one in the Labour cabinet seems capable of understanding. Our economy, as well as our society, is entirely dependent on, and massively benefits from, inward migration.

Let's face it, if Farage/Reform get into power by democratic means, they will waste no time in destroying the capacity of the electorate to kick them out again.

Happy St David's Day! February in Dorchester was exceptionally wet with 172.2mm of rain. Coming after a very January means we have had 433.2mm of rain so far in 2026, while the Winter (Dec-Feb) saw an astonishing 635.2mm of rain. Wettest day was 26th with 55.4mm and widespread flooding. ⬇️

Voters: ‘We hate celery’ Labour: ‘clearly we need to offer more celery.’